Machine for feeding or separating sheets of paper and the like.



. F. W. VIGKERY. MACHINE FOR FBEDINQ 0R SBPARAT-ING SHEETS OF'PAPER ANDTHE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28, 1909;

997,025. wanted y 4, 1911.

m'fizeages 7 m) APH c0., WASHINGTON n c P. W. VIOKERY.

MACHINE POE FEEDING 0E SEPARATING sEEETs OF PAPER AND THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED M10228, 1909.

997,025. Patented July 4,1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- v P. W. VIOKERY. MACHINE FOR FEEDING 0R SEPARATING SHEETS OF PAPER ANDTHE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED D110. 28, 1909.

997,025, v Patented July 4, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cu. WASHINGTON, n. c.

F. W. VIGKER Y. MACHINE FOR FEEDING OR SEPARATING SHEETS OF PAPER ANDTHE LIKE APPLIOATION FILED D130. 28, 1909.

Patented July 4, 1911.

E'SHEETS-SHEET 4.

k =55; N\\\M P. W. VIOKERY. MACHINE FOR FEEDING 0R SEPARATING SHEETS OFPAPER AND TH LIKE. APPLICATION FILED D110; 28, 1909.

997,025. Patented July 4, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK WILLIAM VICKERY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

MACHINE FOR FEEDING 0R SEPARATING SHEETS OF PAPER AND THE LIKE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK WILLIAM VIOKERY, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at 10 Devonshire Grove, London, England, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in or Con nected withMachines for Feeding or Sepa-- rating Sheets of Paper and the Like, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to that class of suction devices used forlifting and separating the top sheet from a pile of paper, cardboard, orthe like, and in which the months or orifices of the nozzle or nozzlesis or are placed at an angle to the top sheet of the pile of paper, theangle of the mouth pieces or orifices of the nozzle being determined inaccordance with the thickness of the paper, the thicker the paper thenarrower the angle. In all such appliances the angle of the mouthpieceof the nozzle with regard to the paper has had to be fixed or adjustedbefore the apparatus is started working and in many cases the work isinefficiently performed because of the inequality of the sheets of paperand the varying conditions of a pile of paper. Now the object of myinvention is to overcome these difficulties of working by causing thenozzle to automatically adapt itself to any variations in the thicknessor condition of the sheets of paper or of the pile without necessitatingprevious adjustment, and this is effected by first placing the nozzle onthe pile of paper with its mouthpiece or orifice in such position orangle that it is not true or capable of engaging the top sheets and thenrolling or moving the nozzle over the pile of paper until its mouthpieceor orifice has reached an angle or position with regard to the top sheetof the pile to allow of the air rushing into the mouthpiece due to theaction of the suction pump to attract the top sheet of the pile, theattracted portion of which flies up to the mouth piece or orifice of thenozzle and closes same, this action immediately creating a vacuum in thenozzle pipe and holding the sheet to the nozzle.

The movement of the nozzle may be continued until it is fiat upon thepaper and this makes no difference as the movement of the portion of thesheet to the nozzle Has allowed air to come between the portion of theattracted sheet and the second sheet on the pile and any pressure of thenozzle on Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 28, 1909.

Patented July 4, 1911.

Serial No. 535,374.

the pile of paper will only cause the air between the two .sheets toform a thin film which prevents the two sheets holding together when thenozzle is lifted to carry the sheet of paper to the grippers, tapes,rollers, or other conveying device or devices.

iVhen it is not desired to continue the movement of the nozzle after thetop sheet has been attracted and the vacuum created, I may employ meanswhereby such movement can be arrested at the desired moment. Any numberof nozzles may be employed but I preferably employ two.

The annexed drawings illustrate two means for carrying my invention intoeffect and such invention will be readily understood from said drawingsand the following description.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of nozzle carrying mechanism with thenozzle resting on r the paper. Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig.

1 with the nozzle orifice or mouth positioned on the pile ofpaper. Fig.3 is a plan of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of Fig. 1. In allthese figures the suction nozzles move on to the pile after the topsheet has been attracted and the vacuum created. Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of nozzle carrying mech anism with the nozzle resting on thepile of paper and in which the movement of the nozzle is arrestedimmediately the top sheet is attracted and the vacuum created. Fig. 6.

is a similar View to Fig. 5 with the nozzle in the arrested position andwith a portion of the top sheet attracted to the nozzle and the vacuumcreated. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of Fig. 5.

The nozzles 1, 1, are secured to a tube 2 which may be a telescopic tubeso that the nozzles may be positioned on the pile of paper according tothe width of such pile. This tube 2 is journaled in bearings 3, 3, offrame 4 rocking and slidable on a shaft 5 secured to bracket 6 mountedon a shaft 7 carried by a frame 8, which is actuated by a shaft: 9 fromsome part of the machine, and by any known mechanism to carry thenozzlesl, 1, forward to the grippers, rollers, tapes or other conveyingdevices.

The frame 4 is pivoted to the shaft 5 to allow the nozzles to properlyposition themselves on the pile of paper irrespective of the conditionof the pile so as to insure perfect attraction of the top sheet to thenozzles irrespective of any inequality of the paper or condition of thepile.

The tube 2 is encircled by a spring 10, one end of which is secured at11 to the tube 2, the other end being secured at 12 to the frame 4. Tothis tube I connect a chain or cord 13, this chain being also connectedto a quadrant 14, or it may be a lever loosely mounted on the shaft 7,said quadrant 14 having a chain or rope or rod 15 connected with a shaft16 or it may be a cam or other device operated through known devicesfrom some part of the machine to or in connection with which theillustrated appliance may be fitted. The quadrant 14 also pivotallycarries a connecting rod 17 this being connected to the frame 4 formoving the frame and the nozzles backward and forward.

The shaft 7 has fixed at each end an arm 18, the forward end of each armbeing positioned under the adjacent end of the frame 4 and such arms arealso connected to the lower ends of chains or ropes 19, 19, which areconnected at their upper ends to a shaft 20 operable in a similar mannerto the shaft 16.

The tube 2 is provided with a branch 21 by which it can be connectedwith a suction pump (not shown) by a pipe 22.

WVhen it is desired to arrest the movement of the nozzles on the topsheet being attracted and the vacuum thereby created, I employ all theforegoing mechanisms and I connect to the frame 8, a suction device, thevalve 24 of which is controlled in one direction by a spring 25, whilethe casing 23 is connected with the suction pipe 22 by a pipe 26. To theframe 8 I pivot a rocking lever 27 one end of which is connected to thevalve 24, the other end being provided with a tooth 28 which is adaptedto engage ratchet teeth 29, formed on the edge of the quadrant 14, theobject being that the moment the vacuum is created the valve 24 will bedrawn in, thereby rocking the lever 27 and causing its tooth 28 toengage the ratchet teeth 29 on the quadrant 14, so as to stop therolling movement of the nozzles as hereafter explained.

With regard to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the action is as follows :Supposingthe appliances are in position ready for action, and the frame 4 hasbeen lowered by the paying out of the chains 19, 19, until the nozzles1, 1, are restingupon the pile of paper as seen in Fig. 1, the orificesor months 1* of the nozzles being in such position with regard to thepile that the air being sucked into the nozzle has no effect on the pileof paper. In this position the spring 10 is in a torsional conditionaround the tube 2 by reason of the tube 2 having been previouslyrevolvedby the chain 13 and quadrant 14.

The shaft 16 is now actuated by any known mechanism for paying out thechain 15 and this allows the spring 10 to revolve the nozzles 1, 1,atthe same time the rod 17 is pushing the frame 4 along the shaft 5, and

this combined action of the spring 10 and the rod 17 causes the nozzlesto roll or move over the top sheet of the pile without moving the sheetedge on, and when the mouthpieces or orifices 1 of the nozzles have beenso positioned that the inrushing air has acted upon the pile, the topsheet is attracted and a portion is drawn against the mouthpieces ororifices of the nozzles as will be understood from Fig. 6, and a suctioncreated by such closing of the nozzles, but the spring 10 and rod 17keep on revolving or moving the nozzles until the orifices ormouthpieces are positioned on the pile of paper 30, as seen in Fig. 2,the top sheet being still held to the nozzles by the suction. The shaft20 then reverses and lifts the frame 4. At the same time the shaft 9 isoperated and the whole appliances are moved forward to carry the liftededge of the top sheet to the grippers, rollers, carrying tapes or otherconveying devices and the sheet is removed from the nozzles and carriedaway in any well known manner, and upon the return stroke of frame 8 theshaft 16 reverses, and its chain 15 moves the quadrant 14 back; thismovement of the quadrant, through the medium of the chain 13 revolvesthe tube 2 and nozzles 1 and winds up the spring 10, and at the sametime the rod 17 draws back the frame 4. If the nozzles are revolved backbefore the appliances are moved toward the grippers or other devices,the edge of the paper is curved around the nozzles and this curving willprevent the ends of the front edge of the sheet dropping, and thisallows of the nozzles being positioned close together. To arrest themovement of the nozzles after the sheet has been attracted, and thevacuum created, as will be understood from Figs. 5, 6 and 7 the vacuumwill also operate the valve 24 and this will effect the engagement ofthe toothed end 28 of the rocking lever 27 with the ratchet teeth 29 ofthe quadrant 14 and thus the action of the spring 10 will be arrestedand also the movement of the tube 2 and nozzles 1; otherwise theoperation is the same as with the other figures.

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. In a paper feeding machine, in combination, a support; a memberslidable thereon; a pneumatic picker carried by said member; meansconnected to said member for advancing and retracting the same on saidsupport; and a resilient connection between said member and picker, forrotating the latter at such tnne.

advancing the same; means for rotating said picker during such movement;and suction operated means for automatically arresting such movement.

3. In a paper feeding machine, in combination, a support; a memberslidable thereon; a pneumatic picker carried by said member; meansconnected to said member for advancing the same and said picker; aresilient connection between said member and picker for rotating thelatter during such movement; and means for automatically arresting suchmovement.

4. In a paper feeding machine, in combination, a support; a memberslidable thereon; a pneumatic picker carried by said member; means foradvancing and retracting said member on said support; means for bodilyraising and lowering said support; and additional means for bodilyadvancing and retracting said support.

5. In a paper feeding machine, in combination, a support; a memberslidable thereon; a pneumatic picker carried by said member; means foradvancing said member on said support; means for automatically arrestingsuch movement; means for bodily raising said support; and means forsubsequently advancing said support.

6. In a paper feeding machine, in combination, a support; amemberslidable thereon; a pneumatic picker carried by said member; a rockshaft; means for actuating the same; a connection between said shaft andsaid member for advancing and retracting the latter when said shaft isactuated; and a connection between said member and picker for rotatingthe picker at such time.

7. In a paper feeding machine, in combination, a rotary tube providedwith a suction nozzle arranged to rest upon a pile of sheets with itsmouth in inoperative position with relation thereto; a member by whichsaid tube is carried; means for advancing said member; and a resilientconnection between said member and tube for rotating the latter oversaid pile during such advance, 'to bring the mouth of said nozzle intoposition to attract the topmost sheet.

8. In a paper feeding machine, in combination, a rotany tubeprovidedwith a suction nozzle arranged to rest upon a pile of sheetswith its mouth in inoperative position .with relation thereto; a memberby which said tube is carried; means for ad vancing said member; meansfor rotating said tube over said pile during such ad vance, to bring themouth of said nozzle into position to attract the topmost sheet; andmeans for subsequently automatically arresting such rotation.

9. In a paper feeding machine, in combination, a rotary tube providedwith a suction nozzle arranged to rest upon a pile of sheets with itsmouth in inoperative position with relation thereto; a member by whichsaid tube is carried; means for advancing said member; means forrotating said tube over said pile during such advance, to bring themouth of said nozzle into position to attract the topmost sheet; andsuction operated means associated with said tube for subsequentlyautomatically arresting such rotation.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

FREDERICK WILLIAM VICKERY.

itnesses H. MAYKnLs, WM. 0. BROWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

